Yes, I know...Spring is here. But since you wouldn't be able to tell by looking outside in my actual backyard...because it's still covered with snow!...I decided to lead my post with a happy Spring day...la la land style! ^_^
You can think of colorful tulips and sunshine, bubbles and hot air balloons while I answer the other two questions I got the other day! ^_^ And before I even get there, let me tell you ahead of time that one of them is a biblical question. {That's for those of you who don't wanna hear anything about other people's beliefs, or don't believe in God or the Bible.
I totally understand not wanting to be preached to. In fact, I have felt the same way at different times in my life. And I didn't stand for it either! ^_^ But now I obviously don't feel the same way. Although I'm still picky about it, depending on 'who' is trying to preach to me!! LOL
But I would never jam my beliefs down someone's throat...so to speak...So, consider this answered question in terms of knowledge. With the increase in interest about the bible and biblical history lately, I figure a little knowledge can't hurt! ^_^} And I believe that no one can 'make' anybody believe something that they don't want to believe anyway!..But let me answer the other question first!
..."... How much time do you spend researching all the great items you find on etsy??..."
The answer to this question is gonna surprise you, because it's not nearly as much time as you think! In fact this is how simple it is most mornings...I turn on the computer and check my shop to see if I've sold anything, or need to answer emails...After that I go to the activity feed button...it's the items that those in my 'circles' (sorta like 'people I follow and who follow me') have 'hearted'.
I just scroll through the pictures of the items...
...until I come to something...or numerous somethings!...that I like!...
...When I see something...like these pretty fingerless gloves...I click over to the shop, download the photo, and then put it on the blog, along with their info and links!
Because there's so many talented people on Etsy, there is always something that catches my eye!!! And if not, I search for things based on what's on my mind! ^_^ I look for owls one day, men's boutonnieres the next, and 'virtual' trip items the day after that, and so on and so forth! LOL...One of these days I'm gonna have NOTHING on my mind and I'm gonna be in trouble! But so far, that hasn't happened! ^_^ There's always SOMETHING on my mind!
The amount of time this little activity takes can vary from an hour, to three hours. Rarely does it get anywhere near the three hour mark though. I pretty quickly choose the things I choose, and the blog talking thing takes practically NO time! LOL I just write it as I think about it...clearly!! ^_^ ... I love that it looks like I'm agonizing over my post though! ^_^ ... Thank you for asking!!
Now the last question:
..."...Why do we grow old and die? This one will stump you I'm sure..." LOL
The person that asked me this question for only kidding with me, because she has the same beliefs as I do! But I decided to answer it seriously because I'm sure some people must've felt the same way I did about the answer at some point in their lives!...I figured that we grew old and died because that's the way God wanted it! End of question!
But I found out when I started studying the Bible that that was far from the truth!! In fact, God NEVER wanted us to die! He actually wanted humans to live forever right here on the earth!!
Before I studied the Bible I was a little afraid of death. And I HATED funerals! I wouldn't go to funerals or funeral homes...except for the funeral home in our neighborhood that had the local soda machine on it's porch!...I was thirsty a lot as a kid!! ^_^...That's a story for another day! LOL...I used to say that if it was left up to me I wasn't even gonna go to my own funeral if I could get out of it!! LOL
Anyway!...when I studied the Bible I found out that God created a man, Adam, and blew the breath of life into him and he came to be a living soul...Then God gave him some instructions. This is what Genesis 2:15-17 says:
"And Jehovah God proceeded to take the man and settle him in the garden of E′den to cultivate it and to take care of it. 16 And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 17 But
as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from
it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”
So, therefore, death was the punishment!!...If Adam had continued to obey, he would have continued to live....forever!
But you know what happened, right?!....If not, you can probably guess, considering the state mankind is in today!!...He disobeyed Jehovah God. :-( And he blamed it on the woman God had made to be with him! (You can read the whole account in your Bible at Genesis 3:1-14) O_O That's also a story for another time!!
The Bible says that God told Adam: "
"In the sweat of your
face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it
you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return."
This is how death spread to all of us. Adam became imperfect in his disobedience, like a bread pan with a dent in it. Every loaf of bread baked in him after that, so to speak,...meaning every child born to him...had the same dent! They all were imperfect and dying, and it could not be removed by another human...The Bible book of Romans explains:
Romans 5:12 says:
"That is why, just as
through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and
thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned."
Even in his now imperfect state, Adam lived a long time!...
Genesis 5:5 says:
"So all the days of Adam that he lived amounted to nine hundred and thirty years and he died."
So, from the time he disobeyed he began to die...We today are a lot further away from perfection, and we live nowhere near as long as Adam did!! But he is where our growing old and dying all started!!....Interestingly, we do have hope though! And that hope lies in the person that the Bible refers to as "the last Adam"...Jesus Christ! :-)
1 Corinthians 15:45 says:
"It is even so written: “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life‐giving spirit."
Now, of course, there's a whole lot more I could go into here, but I'll spare you! ^_^ Consider the questioning DONE! If you still have questions though, just email me or 'convo' me on Etsy. I'm willing to talk, if you're willing to listen!! LOL
Now I'm off to get some pancakes! After all, this is 'Pancake Sunday'!! ^_^ Have a good rest of the day, Everybody!! :-)
Let me tell you about my teachers!
Those who let my spirit fly.
Those who taught me self-control.
Those who always made me try.
My music teacher, small in size,
whose unsung words would sometimes sting;
He taught humility and patience,
while also teaching me to sing.
My English teacher, gregarious,
whose toothy smile was just as loud;
She taught me confidence and joy,
and to be fearless in a crowd.
My drama teacher, A or E,
from her I earned my hardest grade.
It was for letting out a scream.
From which I learned: 'Be Not Afraid'.
For basketball, and also Gym,
My coach would train us like a nut!
And though we lost, most every time,
I learned to try, no matter what.
I learned to cater and to waitress
from a crew who taught me well.
In fact, so many new experiences
that I now can hardly tell.
My Bible teacher too,
taught me how 'I must forgive';
And by teaching me God's laws,
also taught me how to live.
To my teachers, one and all,
bold, soft-spoken, shy or tough,
Thanks for teaching me the knowledge
that being 'me' is good enough!
